Brand publishers are cautiously optimistic about Q1

Brand publishers entered 2023 with a sense of trepidation. Most companies engaging in publishing knew that amid a global economic downturn, advertising and marketing budgets would be among the first to shrink – putting their work at risk.  But there was also hope that a downturn would act as a clarifier, potentially strengthening the position of publishing teams inside brands – particularly if they were able to show strong results.  With the year now well underway, the overall consensus among brand publishing and content executives is that  budget contractions haven’t been as painful as expected, and they’ve introduced some much-needed lucidity within companies about the role content plays in the context of their broader strategies.